Comments on: Reexamining My Own Expectations for the First Timehttps://larevblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/reviewing-my-own-expectations/
A RETIRED GONZAGA BASKETBALL BLOG DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION THAT A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTEFri, 11 Mar 2011 22:56:50 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/By: Scotthttps://larevblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/reviewing-my-own-expectations/#comment-1853
Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:20:08 +0000http://larevblog.wordpress.com/?p=3036#comment-1853It’s a difficult balance. Ideally, college athletes would be required to stay in school for more than one year, but then again, how can you tell a guy he can’t make millions if he has the opportunity? I think that unless players are required to actually graduate, they should just be allowed to go straight out of high school.
]]>By: Caveman Lawyerhttps://larevblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/reviewing-my-own-expectations/#comment-1852
Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:11:59 +0000http://larevblog.wordpress.com/?p=3036#comment-1852LaRev

This post might be the smartest thing you have written in a couple of years. I agree with your NBA thought about the age restriction. They need to do strait to high school or adopt a similar process to the NFL. The latter would at least require the so called student athlete to pretend to go to class and equal out the recruiting scene.

Caveman Lawyer

]]>By: Scotthttps://larevblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/reviewing-my-own-expectations/#comment-1851
Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:39:33 +0000http://larevblog.wordpress.com/?p=3036#comment-1851I guess to clarify my goon-squad argument, I think the goon squads are more dangerous as road blocks for a potential champion rather than potential champions themselves. Plus, I think as AAU pipelines get more prominent, there will be more goon squads through which to navigate.

]]>By: Hofthttps://larevblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/reviewing-my-own-expectations/#comment-1850
Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:49:31 +0000http://larevblog.wordpress.com/?p=3036#comment-1850A great post, as it made me realize my own unexamined preconceptions. I think I remember something from Phil 201 about the unexamined fanhood not being worth living, etc…

My sense, though, is that the AAU-pipeline problem is a more significant one than the mercenary goon squad. Looking back at super-recruits since 2006, the track record of NCAA tournament performance is pretty spotty. Greg Oden’s OSU and Derrick Rose’s Memphis got to title games, yes. And Kevin Love’s UCLA (unclear whether he’d be a straight-to-pros guy, ditto Russell Westbrook) made the final four. That said, Durant, Beasley, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Derrick Favors, OJ Mayo — all fizzled by the second round (Mayo’s USC didn’t even go). Harrison Barnes surely isn’t taking the Tar Heels back to glory this year. Now, arguably last year’s Kentucky were the first true M.G.S., and I think a very major concern is that Calipari will turn the school into the NBA minor leagues (also, them swooping in on Kyle Wiltjer perfectly exemplifies the ways in which the Zags are frustratingly screwed). But I think the general point here is that there are so few players who would go straight to the NBA, and wooing them is no recipe for guaranteed success.

An interesting wild-card in this respect, that could help Gonzaga’s chances in the long run, is the possibly growing tendency of players to look at doing Euro ball for a year (a la Brandon Jennings) rather than deal with being amateur and going to class occasionally.

The AAU thing is a major problem. It’s awfully discouraging to look at the disparity in the rankings of players, etc, between the top 15 or so programs in the country and Gonzaga. Wasn’t there rumblings that Donny Daniels was supposed to have a bunch of California AAU hook-ups, or was that just utopic wanking on guboards? I think this imbalance might be one of the things that feeds into the mindset criticized in your last post– the idea that we compete by finding guys who are underrated who then blow up gets fans thinking that surely all our guys are going to blow up sooner or later, tap into their hidden resources of Zag Material, and take us to glory. “Man judges by outward appearance, but [CF and Staff] looks at the heart.” ELIAS HARRIS WHY AREN’T YOU A SUPERSTAR YET.

I was going to quibble about where are the limits of where one-and-done becomes John Wall, but I think this is enough meandering for one comment. But, lastly — I miss the old game-day posts. Wu-Tang Clan’s not walking through that door…